RHS Thread: Planned Update 8.20

[Mifune]

Another RHS Update is in the works. I will let Cid expand upon at the appropriate time. Thank you for the continuing support of RHS.

[Mifune]

Another RHS Update is in the works. I will let Cid expand upon at the appropriate time. Thank you for the continuing support of RHS.

[el cid again]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... drive_link

Microupdate 7.16 public link

This update only affects scenario files. Location, ship and apparently aei files were changed.

There are a couple of changes to aircraft carrier air groups - so the groups would appear on the the parent carrier.
Sometimes, the right carrier number was applied but the land base/ship field was changed to land.

There is a change to a single LCU - a Russian unit based in the Arctic at Tiksi - so the garrison requirement is met.
This place is hard to send troops too. It is only possible in the autumn. [Note climate change has utterly altered
20th century norms for this area. The Arctic shipping season was only two months long, in late fall.]

A problem at Longview Washington was addressed by a workaround. The location now serves as an airfield only.
For some reason, the location does not function as a port in all respects.

[Yaab]

Will we ever see a non-test RHS AAR by some player? I doubt it.

[hernanyork]

The download is not public, is it ok

[btd64]

Will we ever see a non-test RHS AAR by some player? I doubt it.

There's a possibility of it ....GP

[el cid again]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

THIS IS A PUBLIC LINK

Microupdate 7.16 public link

This update only affects scenario files. Location, ship and apparently aei files were changed.

There are a couple of changes to aircraft carrier air groups - so the groups would appear on the the parent carrier.
Sometimes, the right carrier number was applied but the land base/ship field was changed to land.

There is a change to a single LCU - a Russian unit based in the Arctic at Tiksi - so the garrison requirement is met.
This place is hard to send troops too. It is only possible in the autumn. [Note climate change has utterly altered
20th century norms for this area. The Arctic shipping season was only two months long, in late fall.]

A problem at Longview Washington was addressed by a workaround. The location now serves as an airfield only.
For some reason, the location does not function as a port in all respects.

[el cid again]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

THIS IS A PUBLIC LINK

Microupdate 7.16 public link

This update only affects scenario files. Location and aircraft files were modified. All files unrelated to scenarios 121-129 were deleted. A couple of locations on the map were edited for more correct data. Ki-36AS and another type of Axis
aircraft had durability reduced to be consistent with other models and RHS definition formulas. A couple of LCU were edited for better data.

[el cid again]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

THIS IS A PUBLIC LINK

This is a major update of scenario files (only): device file, leader file (h) and location files. For safety to insure no near
past data is omitted, aircraft and air group files were also recompiled into the installer.

Only locations, and units or leaders in them, in Siberia, Alaska or Canada were changed.

Locations (places) were sometimes redefined in terms of local industry. More often, locations were changed in terms of inventories, particularly of supplies and fuel at game start. Sometimes units in locations in these areas were modified or
even added. The review was comprehensive and was done to improve modeling of the start of game situation.

Sometimes this reflects new information. More generally, this was done to insure inventories meet formal RHS standards
(definitions) of what is appropriate. The general rules are that a location normally gets 1300 tons of fuel and 1000 tons of
supplies for each functioning level of port AND for each functioning level of airfield. To these values is added 10 days of
local production of industry. Major industrial centers get the requirements of imported fuel or oil for 10 days added.

Focus was on the NW Staging Route airfields. While these function automatically in the game (replacement planes for
Russia simply appear in the pools), these locations serve as an operational backbone for local military operations if
invaded. As we are using this game to help an Arctic staff understand the possibilities, we wanted the most correct
model possible.

As well, we found historical information not previously available on military bases in Alaska. This permitted adding the
most important bases and units, and even the details of their coast defense guns, in several cases. This is not
complete, so there will be another update adding still more such units.

[el cid again]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

THIS IS A PUBLIC LINK SHORTLY

This is a major update of scenario files (only): aircraft files, class files, group files, leader files (h), location files and ship files. Most of the work went into the leader file. Only one air group was added (a recon detachment for the Alaska Territorial Guard, or ATG), only one "ship" (naval) unit was added (a canoe group for the Alaska National Guard, or ANG, First Alaska Combat Intelligence Platoon (informally known as the Eskimo Scouts).

Only locations, and units or leaders in them, in Siberia, Alaska or Canada were changed.

This development of Update 7.20 focused on correcting or improving the new records. The former ATG units were slightly modified and slightly expanded, so that today there are 3 battalions and 9 company sized detachments, many of which have historical officers (instead of generic US Army Officer 180 type officers). Similarly, the ANG battalion had its rename corrected. As well, it expanded to have 4 line companies (which can combine into the parent battalion), as well a recon company (the intelligence platoon named above), a tiny "AKL" group to form an amphib TF to move them (e.g.
a "canoe group"), and the historical start of war deployment for those companies (instead of a single battalion which, in
fact, didn't form as such until 1944). Testing demonstrated this worked so well we will add the Alamo Scouts in the next
update (probably in three platoon sized organizations similar to the First Alaska Combat Intelligence Platoon, on which they were based).

Mifune is also working on art for the canoe groups (6 each, with a troop capacity of 66, a cargo capacity of 6 tons,
and a durability of 6, because there are six "flotation units" = platoons to sink to wipe out the unit. He is also working
on a USS Utah with five inch guns and no main turrets.

It turns out company organization works well in Alaska, where few places can support larger units unless there are
supplies being flown in. About half of the year (5/6 in the far North) it is impossible to sail in (although there are
ice roads and ice trails half of the year). But for the brief Arctic Fall season, major forces can sail in, over a thousand miles down the major rivers like the Yukon or the Makenzie (and similar rivers in SIberia). A major aspect of the 7.2
series of updates is to insure the NW Staging Route across Western Canada, Alaska and Siberia is fully modeled in terms of its local logistical impacts. A handful of locations have added or improved industry, and inventories of resources, supplies, fuel, and/or oil.

[el cid again]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

THIS IS A PUBLIC LINK SHORTLY

This is a wrap up of the major 7.20 update.

Only locations, and units or leaders in them, in Siberia, Alaska or Canada were changed. There are a few added records. Two LCU, Two "ships" and half a dozen leaders. All are related to the Alamo Scouts. All appear where they trained, on Goodenough Island (East in AE terms of the coast of New Guinea not far from where it ends at Milne Bay]. A few eratta were also corrected, mainly related to Eskimo Scouts and Alamo Scouts, which are presented in tiny, platoon sized elements, and "canoe groups" to transport them. The two ship class records involved have improved performance data.
Because these model a variety of watercraft with various means of propulsion, they present the fastest possible speed ignoring current, and the average cruising speed ignoring current. An improvised bit of art is assigned, but Mifune is working up a new one. He is also working on USS Utah art, so it will lose its 12 inch gun turrets.

No more updates are planned. We will return to testing to find other issues.

This development of Update 7.20 focused on correcting or improving the new records. The former ATG units were slightly modified and slightly expanded, so that today there are 3 battalions and 9 company sized detachments, many of which have historical officers (instead of generic US Army Officer 180 type officers). Similarly, the ANG battalion had its rename corrected. As well, it expanded to have 4 line companies (which can combine into the parent battalion), as well a recon company (the intelligence platoon named above), a tiny "AKL" group to form an amphib TF to move them (e.g.
a "canoe group"), and the historical start of war deployment for those companies (instead of a single battalion which, in
fact, didn't form as such until 1944). Testing demonstrated this worked so well we will add the Alamo Scouts in the next
update (probably in three platoon sized organizations similar to the First Alaska Combat Intelligence Platoon, on which they were based).

Mifune is also working on art for the canoe groups (6 each, with a troop capacity of 66, a cargo capacity of 6 tons,
and a durability of 6, because there are six "flotation units" = platoons to sink to wipe out the unit. He is also working
on a USS Utah with five inch guns and no main turrets.

It turns out company organization works well in Alaska, where few places can support larger units unless there are
supplies being flown in. About half of the year (5/6 in the far North) it is impossible to sail in (although there are
ice roads and ice trails half of the year). But for the brief Arctic Fall season, major forces can sail in, over a thousand miles down the major rivers like the Yukon or the Makenzie (and similar rivers in SIberia). A major aspect of the 7.2
series of updates is to insure the NW Staging Route across Western Canada, Alaska and Siberia is fully modeled in terms of its local logistical impacts. A handful of locations have added or improved industry, and inventories of resources, supplies, fuel, and/or oil.

[el cid again]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

THIS IS A PUBLIC LINK

This is a semi-final wrap up of the major 7.20 update.

It adds interim ship art for USS Utah as an AG (gunnery training ship).

Mifune found a gigantic photograph of the ship in drydock in 1941. From this we were able to determine that
the listed armament - not only in AE but in virtually all references - is incorrect. This update corrects the
weapons, and speculatively adds the standard air search radar being installed at that time. I also modified the
existing art by removing the 12 inch gun turrets, but leaving their foundations. This isn't quite right. While the
side mounts are not visible in the art, the centerline mounts should be. This interim art at lease gets rid
of 12 inch guns and provides a foundation for the 5 inch singles. Mifune will add these next, and, as usual,
make the entire product more crisp and clear (which requires working below the resolution level of the
existing art - something I learned from a Canadian firm named ATI which AMD eventually acquired).

The correct armament is 5 inch 38s in single mountings (with enclosures for the crews) aft (and almost
certainly on the invisible Port side, following Breyer in Shachtshiffe and Schlachtkreutzer). Also 5 inch 25
singles in open mountings forward and actually visible on the Starboard side in the photograph. Two singles
in all cases. That is, a total of 8 mounts, 4x5"/38 and 4x5"/25. The two "middle" 12 inch twin mounts are,
in the photograph, replaced by a superstructure. This almost certainly will contain, among other things, a modern
battleship or cruiser type CIC, to plot air targets on radar and assign specific turrets. This sensible conversion
means both CIC crews and gun crews can be trained to engage air targets with centerline sky arks as well as
the different side sky arks.

Once Mifune adds the centerline 5 inch mounts to the fore and aft pairs of turret mounts, and converts the
"middle" turret mounts to a box superstructure for the CIC (and likely other things), we will complete this series.

[el cid again]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

This public link is a major update. Almost every type of file has been updated. There is new ship art for USS Utah.
She also has a new hull number in RHS (correcting an error - the former AG-15 is now AG-16). Utah gains her historical
captain, and, in JES Scenarios 125 and 129, also there is a new conversion available - to a sort of very heavy AA ship.
There is a new aircraft type - for the Boeing 80A - in odd numbered (i.e. Full RHS) scenarios. This for the unique Reeve
Air Service, by Robert Reed out of Northway, Alaska. He was the only civil pilot allowed to operate in the Alaska
Department. Utah work led to the discovery of improper AA device dates, so there is considerable review and revision of
the dates for US 40 mm AA guns. Some work has begun on Indian Army divisions - more will follow. Some other
things were corrected when spotted - details unclear in my memory.

We will continue to work on review for a while yet. Test building will not begin until this review is completed.

[el cid again]

Major Update 7.26 (a continuation of the effort to perfect Siberia, Alaska and Canada in the main)

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

This update only applies to scenario files. Only location and leader (H) files were changed.

Most of the changes are related to Canada and Alaska. A few formation pointers related to India were also
corrected, so the formations update in the correct order.

I had to rework the entire Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG). Having served in it, I wrongly assumed the reformed
version was based on its WW2 ancestor. But I discovered that "the largest unit was in Anchorage" and that it had
242 personnel. There were no battalions at all. Also, that they only issued one rifle and one uniform per person,
and the entire organization had zero heavy weapons of any kind. Known informally as "The Tundra Army", they
not only had almost 100% volunteers, they were supported by the vast majority of women who technically could
not serve. [One book recalls that, in training at Fort Richardson, instructors pretended they didn't notice women
"because they are the best shots and also the best at fieldcraft." The role of women was formally recognized in
a ceremony in 1968. I decided to treat the ATG (apart from its peculiar aerial detachment of light planes) as 14
detachments of company or almost company size. In fact there were over 100 detachments, many of them the size
of squads. We only model the larger cases. I also added numbers of officer names. In fact, it is no my policy never
fail to assign an officer to any unit I look at - if there is none. Especially with small units, there are not enough
officers. There is a risk of being assigned a "staff officer" all of whose fields are value = 0.

In Canada, I changed base forces names and, when possible, combined civil airline and CAAF base forces. Air
Training Units were generally made static. Most also are co-located with civil airline base forces. But one base force,
a US unit supporting what begins the game as civil airlines, is left mobile - so a player has the option of picking a
location in Canada to be "reinforced" by this peculiar base force. Early in 1942, civil airlines were taken over
and became military units, as were their aircraft and maintenance units. These air units and aircraft are intended
to be used in Canada and Alaska to build up and support bases and units in them. So civil airline air groups should be
used to help the logistic buildup in Alaska and Western Canada using year around airlift.

This series may be completed. But I will do a search to find eratta and omissions.

[el cid again]

Major Update 7.27

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... drive_link

This is the last in the series of updates mainly addressing Siberia, Alaska and Canada. It only changes Leader (H)
and Location (H) files. The process of reviewing these files discovered some pwhexe.dat issues - some dating
from the early map work at Matrix. Notably the Alaska RR does not end at Fairbanks, but one hex farther East
(at Mile 26 Field in WW2 terms, or Eileson AFB today). Also the Glen Highway does not penetrate the Glen Alps
in 1942. For this reason, a new set of pwhexe.dat files will be created, correcting these issues.

A major effort was made to properly address the building of the ALCAN Highway, or, in JES Scenarios, the expanded
version of that (paving the road) and the follow on proposed Trans-Canada, Alaska Railroad (ending at Tellar
Alaska NW of Nome). We were able to identify the engineer units involved, and some of the leaders. These units
were often in the game, but need to be tied down until they finish the ALCAN work. We used the same system
we use re the upgrade of the Tea and Horse Caravan Road (in Tibet and China) in JES Scenarios: the Engineers
appear AFTER their construction work ends. Surprisingly complete information was found, particularly in The
Forgotten War, Vol. I, by Stan Cohen. In one case, a "Black" USACE unit ("Colored" in the terminology of WW2)
goes to India, so it appears at Calcutta in scenario 126, which starts in February 1945 (in time for the Iwo Jima
Campaign, from which the Scenario takes its name). While 126 needs probably years of work to become
functional (vast numbers of units must be relocated and have squad types modified to 1945 form), loading this
game DOES permit one to see most of the units that appear during the game. Unfortunately, most of them will
be in 1941 locations, but at least it reveals the units are appearing where intended in 1941, their officers and
device counts.

As with other updates in this series, numbers of officers were added. Many of them with the correct names, the rest
in generic form (pending identification of the actual officers). The number of junior officers in the US Army and in
the US Navy, and in Canadian service, has increase to the point there is far less risk of assigning the "staff officer"
because there were not enough in the pool.

[el cid again]

Major Update 8.00

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... drive_link

This comprehensive update includes RHS Documentation files (Plane List 1, Plane List 2, Plane List 1 (USAAF only),
and RHS Seasonal Construction File); Plane art files (A Planeside, Atop and Atop Alpha), and Scenario files (aircraft,
group, leader and location) and pwhexe.dat files (pwhexe.dat and II41Winterpwhexe.dat).

Mifune's new art for the C-47C Floatplane (the largest floatplane in history) is included.

This changes some road and railroad hexes in Alaska and NWT (or Western) Canada.

My old map art is slightly out of date in these areas. I will create new map art to correct this issue. Meanwhile,
use reveal codes (the R key for Roads, the Y key for Railroads) to see the actual case in these areas. One correction is
that the map art for the Copper River RR was correct, but the pwhexe.dat file was wrong. Now they are in sync.

I must generate new pwhexe.dat files for all later seasons. I must further review and update the Seasonal
Construction file - because I have done more research and made some updates. These will probably require still
more modifications, particularly in JES (Japan Enhanced Scenarios) 125 and 129.

I have identified more of the engineer units used in building roads and railroads in Alaska and Canada, and
generally withheld them until they complete their work (and become available for players to assign). I also
assigned many leaders to units lacking them, often with the correct name (which was not previously known).

I moved some locations to fit the map projection better and added and a new "wagon road" (as a trail) NW from Whitehorse NWT to Loon Lake on the Yukon River. A few locations had local industry added or modified, as well as start of game stocks of supplies, fuel, resources and oil. In this map area, most things are undeveloped or underdeveloped
in 1941, so much of the industry is "damaged" and not producing until and unless it is repaired.

[el cid again]

Minor Update 8.01

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... drive_link

This update contains one documentation file (RHS Seasonal Construction), one map panel (WPEN05), and two kinds
of scenario files (leader = H and location = L).

Most of the work went into the map panel, which contains all of the changes in the new 8 series pwhexe.dat start of
game file. A couple of Allied engineer units had data reviewed and updated. A few leaders were added because they
were in the database and not used.

I will now proceed to update the WPEN05 files for the non-Winter seasons.

[el cid again]

Minor Update 8.02

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... drive_link

This update importantly contains seasonal art files for Spring, Monsoon and Fall seasons. Winter art was issued
in the last update, 8.01.

It also contains a new Japanese island base - Puluwat - which is in the shallows NW of Truk. The 11th Independent
Mixed Regiment is assigned to plan for it, except in scenario 126, it starts at that location. The correct commanding officer
was confirmed to be assigned to that unit, and his date of activation was synchronized to insure he will be assigned.
That led to discovery that other officers of similar Independent Mixed Regiments were not date synchronized. So that was corrected, along with other eratta in the officer data. Note one major general commands one Independent Mixed Regiment. Since this seems to be true, he was defined as a CO of a "small ground unit" and can be assigned to any such unit. This might be a good idea - he is very highly rated (by whoever created the in game record). I don't step on existing
research in the database, except for cause - when I can show it is wrong.

The IIRHSSeasonalConstruction file was also updated, mainly in respect to the Glen Highway from Palmer to GlenAllen Alaska. A few other eratta were corrected in location records and in officer records.

Next I will work on pwhexe.dat files for Spring 1942. Two of them - one for start of game scenarios and one for JES scenarios. Although the first turn of a game uses the same pwhexe.dat file for both Strictly Historical and Japan Enhanced Scenarios, after the first season of the war is ended, each type of scenario has its own pwhexe.dat file. This is because it is assumed different projects are built. Strictly Historical scenarios feature actual construction. JES scenarios feature projects considered but not ultimately built. These fall into two patterns. Japanese projects are generally smaller. But the tend to connect critical points which have an enormous impact on improving movement and logistic efficiency. Allied projects tend to be large, tend to be major roads or major railroads rather than minor ones, and tend to cover greater distances than Axis projects do. Every one was actually built or (in JES) officially planned. One feature of this series of updates is that I am removing engineers from play associated with these construction programs UNTIL they finish the work - so players cannot use the same engineers to do something while they are building roads or rail lines.

[el cid again]

Major Update 8.04

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

This update only contains Scenario Files of the H (Leader) and L (Location) types and a comprehensive rewrite of the
Level II RHS Seasonal Construction MS Word document. It also contains the relatively new start of game pwhexe.dat
(issued a couple of days ago) file which applies to all RHS Scenarios.

Changes to the WPEN06 art panel required changes in the pwhexe.dat file. This means all scenarios need new pwhexe.dat
files. I am about to issue these. If we are going to reissue all the seasonal rhspwhexe.dat files, a comprehensive review
of all pwhexe.dat files was undertaken to minimize eratta. The changes are all in Eastern Alaska and Western Canada
near the Alaska-NorthWest Territories border. They make the pwhexe.dat file (the "real" map as the computer sees it)
consistent with the new map art.

I also will write a document about how to modify a game already begun and the sorts of changes that will not happen
when you do.

[el cid again]

Major Update 8.04

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

This update only contains Scenario Files of the H (Leader) and L (Location) types and a comprehensive rewrite of the
Level II RHS Seasonal Construction MS Word document. It also contains the relatively new start of game pwhexe.dat
(issued a couple of days ago) file which applies to all RHS Scenarios.

Changes to the WPEN06 art panel required changes in the pwhexe.dat file. This means all scenarios need new pwhexe.dat files. I am about to issue these. If we are going to reissue all the seasonal rhspwhexe.dat files, a comprehensive review of all pwhexe.dat files was undertaken to minimize eratta. The changes are all in Eastern Alaska and Western Canada near the Alaska-NorthWest Territories border. They make the pwhexe.dat file (the "real" map as the computer sees it) consistent with the new map art.

I also will write a document about how to modify a game already begun and the sorts of changes that will not happen
when you do.

Apart from a review of the RHS Seasonal Construction file worldwide, on general principles because all 25 follow on files after the universal start of game pwhexe.dat file used in all scenarios, it is a good idea to discover any eratta or possible improvements before doing such work. They must change because of a few things in the Alaska/Western Canada area which were changed in the start of game file.

This update included a comprehensive review of locations with respect to local industry, mainly resources and light industry. Every location was researched to find its historical population, historical production, and what was later produced (to evaluate if any of that might have been developed sooner). In particular the 1950 population is compared to 1940-1 population, because population bounds the amount of industry permitted in the game. In many cases the population increases during the war years. This is carefully entered into the 1945 Scenario 125 (which needs different industry than 1941 in many places) and was evaluated for consideration as "damaged" industry (to permit development by "repairing" it). Otherwise, units at locations were evaluated. If missing leaders, these are added. Actual leaders names are used if they can be found, otherwise generic names are used. Reviews of late have found many previous generic names that could be turned into actual names, so there are now huge gaps in generic leader number sequences. Because many numbers have been turned into names. Sometimes the wrong name was found to be in use. So the right name was either assigned from the existing leader (H) file - or it was created. But the wrong name was preserved
so it can increase the number of names. As most of these are junior officers - of which there has long been a shortage - it helps mitigate that issue.

Since hunting, fishing, the availability of fresh water, sand, gravel, and timber are often quite good, many locations produce a supply point a day (360 tons a year) of supplies. This is not important on most of the game map, but it reflects the situation in this part of the map where small units (many of them created in the near past updates) find it relatively easy to live off the land. I call this a "subsistence economy." It is similar to an "oaisis economy" found in some desert areas, but oasis are relatively few and relatively large - producing supplies but no resources for export. In Canada and Alaska, the economy generally produces supplies on a small scale, with some locations (with mines) producing resources for export. These are usually on lines of communications - some of the at the start - others built during the war. Anyway - each location was reviewed to insure good modeling of what it produced, or
could produce with minor investment (modeled as "repairs" of "damaged" industry.